


Of school and workouts

by LeeGale



Series: Ad lunam, ut amica, ut mi stultus [25]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Akechi Goro Lives, Akechi Goro Redemption, Boys Kissing, How Do I Tag, How do I not spoil, Kinda, M/M, OOC, Sad bois, everyone is ooc, oof, um
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:29:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27915298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeeGale/pseuds/LeeGale
Summary: It's Akira's first day back at school, and an important conversation happens
Relationships: Amamiya Ren/Mishima Yuuki, Kurusu Akira/Mishima Yuuki, Mishima Yuuki/Persona 5 Protagonist, One-sided Mishima Yuuki/Akechi Goro
Series: Ad lunam, ut amica, ut mi stultus [25]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1695079
Kudos: 5





	Of school and workouts

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry it took so long to get this out! I've been really struggling with school, I was technically grounded for a month (I was able to get on my laptop enough to post updates to two other fics, but only because those updates were pretty much ready to be posted), and I had to rewrite this three separate times.  
> Besides all of that, I hope y'all enjoy!

After everything that had happened with Akira's father, the couple had spent the evening just cuddling, even cancelling their meeting with Kawakami so that Mishima could make sure his boyfriend was alright. However, after that, they had both been pretty busy, so the hadn't really had the chance to hang out. That was why, a few days later, Mishima couldn't help but smile when he got to class. Despite how short a time it had been (and really, it hadn't been that long), the sight of Akira back in school made something in Mishima flutter. It meant that it was all over, finally... Akira looked over to the door, taking his eyes off Takamaki to smile brightly at Mishima and wave him over. Everything in the bluenette screamed to just run to Akira, to kiss him and hold him and never let go, but he knew he couldn't do that, especially not in front of so many people, so he settled for walking over quickly and smiling back brightly, breathing out a soft, "Hey," as soon as he was close enough.

"Hi," Akira responded, smiling softly, sweetly, as he shifted on Mishima's desk enough to leave the bluenette some room without getting off of it entirely, "How are you?"

"Better now you're back," Mishima replied without a thought, not looking up from where he'd started to sort his bag out. That earned him a quiet snort from Takamaki and a small, soft, pleased noise from Akira, the latter of which made him look up from his bag. Akira's cheeks were flushed a delicate pink as a sweet smile tugged at his lips, visibly pleased with what Mishima had said. The older teen couldn't fight the smile that tugged at his lips, opening his mouth to talk, only to be cut off by Kawakami walking in, followed by a certain pretty boy that Mishima was very much torn about...

"Alright, class, we have Akechi with us again today," Kawakami stated a few minutes later, after everyone had settled into their seats and after she'd done the register. Mishima could barely suppress the groan that threatened to escape him, torn between wanting to punch Akechi again and wanting to stick to his promise to Akira. Sure, the guy had eventually decided to be good and help the others, but not before getting Akira kidnapped and tortured and drugged, not before making Mishima think Akira was dead, not before being a complete  _ fucking dickhead _ -

"Hello," Akechi called, smiling charmingly as he glanced around the room. Something in Mishima squirmed when the detective's eyes landed on him, conflicted and gross, but Akechi was quick to look away as he continued, voice a little shakey as he said, "First of all, I wish to apologise for how I acted the time I was here before last, when I taught your class and a third-year class. I... I was in a dark place and attempted to force unrequited feelings onto one of you, and then I didn't apologise the last time I was here. I know what I did, how I acted, was wrong, and all I can say about that is... I'm sorry."

Mishima couldn't help but gape at Akechi as the detective stared down at his feet, visibly unsure and uncomfortable. For a long moment, silence stretched. No one knew what to say, especially not Mishima, but eventually, Akechi sighed and looked up, stating, "Anyway, I will be taking with your classes again today. For the entire day, we will be focused on teaching you all hand-to-hand combat, much like we did for the second half of my first day with you. And so, we need to move to the field."

Like that settled it, Akechi sent the class a smile and started to leave. That prompted everyone to follow, getting up and murmuring amongst themselves. Mishima cringed when he heard people talking about Akechi's apology, correctly assuming it was for him, but he was quickly distracted by Akira appearing by his side just after he exited the classroom and murmuring a soft, "Hey. You okay?"

"I kinda wanna hurt him, but I promised you I wouldn't, so..." Mishima whispered in response, glaring at where he'd last seen Akechi. That earned him a quiet chuckle from Akira, who stepped impossibly closer and intertwined their fingers. Mishima's breath caught then, surprised by the sudden show of affection, before he relaxed and leaned into Akira's side, smiling softly and muttering, "I'll be okay, though. As long as he doesn't do anything stupid..."

Akira hummed at that, squeezing Mishima's hand as they silently walked to the field. It didn't take them long to get there, and soon enough everyone except Akechi and Kawakami was sat on the grass and waiting for instructions. After he'd sat, Mishima had expected Akira to perch next to him, but his boyfriend was always so full of surprises, and instead decided to sit between Mishima's legs and lean into his chest. It made the bluenette blush, even as he curled his good arm around his boyfriend. He knew they'd agreed they wouldn't hide their relationship the previous day, having spoken about it in detail so that there were no mistakes or confusion, but he hadn't expected Akira to be quiet so... affectionate. Although, with the way he was carefully eyeing Akechi, it was probably a one-time thing, just to show the detective that Mishima was very much taken. Although, Mishima would have liked it to be a common occurrence... He didn't say anything, though, just focusing as Akechi started to speak.

"Today, class, I will need everyone willing to volunteer to do so. If you are willing to, please raise your hand," the detective called, and a smattering of hands raised. Mishima raised an eyebrow at how  _ few  _ people volunteered, and his eyebrow climbed further up his forehead when Akira's hand lifted. His expression drew a quiet chuckle from his boyfriend, who smiled and nuzzled his cheek before murmuring into Mishima's ear.

"Akechi and I set this up. I'm sorry I didn't warn you, but I wanted to surprise you..." he explained, oblivious to how his breath brushing Mishima's ear made the bluenette feel. It took Mishima a second to pull himself together, but before he had the chance to ask what the hell Akira meant, the younger teen was being called upon...

"Akira, would you please come here?" Akechi asked, smirking just the tiniest bit. Something about that look made Mishima's gut churn, anger and disgust burning his blood, but Akira pressing a soft kiss to his cheek and whispering for him to calm down got him to do just that. The tall teen then headed up to the front of the group, smiling slightly at Akechi. Mishima couldn't help it as his heart fluttered when the sun hit Akira  _ just right _ , giving him the glow of an angel... Of course, he was quickly distracted by the quiet murmurs of their classmates. None of them seemed to mind talking shit about Akira, even as he was clearly in earshot, muttering that it was a bad idea for Akechi to pick him, that he was dangerous, that he would just hurt Akechi-

"Ignore them," Takamaki whispered, shuffling so she was sat next to Mishima, "They're all idiots who don't know him..."

Mishima scoffed slightly at that, agreeing, before being distracted by the way Akira stripped off his shirt and jacket. Akechi did the same, making some comment about it being easier to work out if they were both shirtless, but Mishima was too busy watching Akira to pay him much attention. The younger teen seemed to catch onto Mishima's dilemma, smirking as he walked over and dropped his clothes, murmuring, "Keep them safe for me, babe?"

"I... Uh... Yeah..." Mishima breathed, unable to take his eyes off of the way Akira's muscles rippled. That earned him a soft, fond huff of laughter before Akira leaned down, pressing a swift kiss to his lips. He pulled away before Mishima had a chance to reciprocate, making the bluenette pout slightly. However, before Akira could pull away properly, the whispers of their classmates reached Mishima's ears.

_ "Oh. My. God. Are they dating or something?" _

_ "Is Mishima really dating the delinquent?" _

_ "Oh, he was abused by Kamoshida, right? Maybe he likes being hurt..." _

_ "Do you think he's a masochist?" _

_ "He's gotta be, right?" _

Something dark flashed in Akira's eyes, not too dissimilar to hurt, anger and inferiority, and Mishima's heart screamed protectively. How dare they think Akira would ever hurt him- An idea struck the bluenette. As Akira started to pull away, visibly distressed, Mishima leaned up and yanked his boyfriend into a deep, rough kiss, tugging his hair slightly and leading Akira easily. It earned him a surprised moan before Akira visibly melted, turning to putty. Mishima felt a surge of pride at that, almost letting himself get lost in the feeling of his boyfriend's lips on his, but he eventually pulled away, smirking at Akira and stating, "You should go help Akechi, baby..."

Akira nodded dumbly, cheeks flushed and obviously affected by Mishima's show of dominance. It made Mishima's gut twist with want, but he shoved that down as he gently nudged Akira's nose and let him go. For a few lingering seconds, Akira didn't move, seemingly trying to pull himself together, but eventually, he cleared his throat and headed over to where Akechi stood. As the detective's eyes flashed with jealousy, the whispers of the class were very different, everyone seemingly surprised that Mishima had taken control whilst also not making any more nasty comments about Akira... Mishima couldn't help but smirk, even when he saw Kawakami rolling her eyes dramatically, and watched as Akechi cleared his throat and said, "Alright, everyone, please focus. Akira and I are going to show you what a simple sparring session is like, then you will all pair up and spar together. I don't expect any of you to be professional, and this is just so I can get a comprehensive idea of your general abilities. For now, though, please watch us."

Mishima didn't need Akechi to tell him to watch as the sparring started. He was instantly focused on the way Akira moved... The teen was clearly uncomfortable with everyone's eyes on him, so was a little sloppy, but the sight of him was still too damn attractive for Mishima's heart. Seriously. The way his muscles rippled as he threw a punch, the way he dropped into a squat to evade a left hook, the way he gradually became more comfortable, enough that his movements became so much more fluid... It made Mishima's mouth dry up as he watched, having to shuffle to hide his growing problem. Not that it did a great job, considering the way Takamaki snickered beside him. He took his eyes off the fight for long enough to send her a quick glare, but when he returned his gaze, he found his breath catching. Akira was smirking, a hint of danger in his eyes as he kicked out Akechi's right foot and unbalanced him. In that moment, he looked... Well, he looked like what Mishima imagined he looked like when doing his Phantom Theif thing. He was no longer Akira, he was Joker, and... It tore Mishima. Sure, it was attractive, but it wasn't  _ Akira _ , it was a mask, the same way his nonchalant smiles were when he heard his classmates talking shit. It looked good, but it just wasn't right. It-

Mishima couldn't help but whimper when Akira did a high kick, grinning with unrestrained joy as he knocked Akechi back. That grin... That was all Akira. It wasn't the dark, dangerous mask he had for when he had to pretend to be an unflappable leader, it was just Akira, having fun and not feeling the pressure for once in his life. It... It was better. The smirk was attractive, yes, but that grin? It was all  _ Akira _ , not Joker, and was the person Mishima loved. It- 

Akechi managed to knock Akira down, pinning him down, with a bright, genuine smile. As ten seconds counted down, Mishima couldn't help but take in the sight of his boyfriend. Even trying to get Akechi off and trying to continue the fight, covered in grass stains and a little bit of dirt, Akira looked... stunning, for lack of a better word. Carefree. His actual age, instead of several years older because of his constant stress. He was-

"I win," Akechi breathed, clearly a little tired as he rolled off of Akira with a smile. The pair remained like that for a long moment, but eventually, Akechi sighed and suggested, "We should both have something to drink before I continue teaching..."

Akira agreed and slowly got up, stretching (and giving the entire class an eyeful of him, something that made jealousy dance in Mishima's gut when a few of the girls started to murmur about how surprisingly hot he was) before strolling over to Mishima and Takamaki. The bluenette was quick to pull Akira's bottle from his bag, giving Morgana a quick pet before passing Akira the bottle with a breathy, "You did good."

Akira's cheek flushed prettily at that, adding to the healthy pink that already dusted them from exertion, as he dropped onto his knees next to Mishima. He was quick to take the bottle and drink, the way the muscles of his throat worked making Mishima's problem grow... Of course, Akira picked up on that, smirking as he tilted his head and murmured lowly, "Thanks, Yuuki..."

He leaned close, brushing a soft kiss to Mishima's cheek. However, before he had the chance to pull away, Mishima gently cupped his cheek and pulled him in for a proper kiss, smirking slightly. Akira melted instantly, humming as he let Mishima control the pace... Of course, they had to separate eventually, so Mishima kept the kiss chaste, ending it only to press a soft, sweet kiss to the tip of Akira's nose. For some reason, that seemed to be what embarrassed the younger teen most, as he blushed brightly and ducked his head until it was hidden in Mishima's shoulder. Mishima chuckled slightly, reaching up to gently play with Akira's hair as he murmured, "You looked really good up there, baby boy. It's nice to see you smile like you did..."

That drew a soft, embarrassed noise from Akira, but before either of them could say anything else, they were distracted by Akechi clearing his throat and calling out, "Alright, could you all please partner up? As soon as you have a partner, you may start sparring..."

As soon as Akechi was done talking, Mishima pouted. He couldn't take part, because of his arm... Akira huffed at his expression, having pulled back so he could hear what Akechi had to say, but was quickly distracted by Takamaki asking, "Hey, is it okay if I steal Akira to spar, Mishima? Since you can't... It's okay if you wanna keep him though! I-"

"I don't mind," Mishima replied, brushing a soft kiss against the top of Akira's ear, earning himself a slight shiver as Akira rolled his eyes, "I'll probably just sit and watch..."

"I bet you like watching Akira," Takamaki teased, smirking when the couple blushed brightly. She wasn't  _ wrong _ , but she didn't need to call Mishima out like that... Their expressions made Takamaki laugh, bright and surprisingly real as she grabbed Akira's arm, pulling him and stating, "Don't worry, I'm sure you two can get up to a different kind of sparring some other time..."

That earned her a squeak from Mishima, who was quick to cover his face as he stuttered out, "I... You... Takamaki! We-"

"I'm kidding!" Takamaki giggled, even as Akira hid his face in both of his hands, "Don't worry, Mishima. I'm kidding..."

It took Mishima a few minutes to calm down enough to form a complete sentence, but by the time he could, Takamaki and Akira were already starting to spar. He took note of the way the pair moved, fluid and graceful. There was obviously a difference in their abilities, Akira outpacing Takamaki by a mile, but it was also obvious that Akira was going easy so Takamaki stood a chance against him. And really? That was just sweet enough to make Mishima smile softly. His boyfriend was just so  _ nice _ ... Although, the fond warmth that danced in Mishima's heart changed into a fiery heat burning his gut when Akira glanced at him, smirking (but not the same way he had before, not the Joker smirk. This one was all Akira, smug and showing off without trying to be intimidating), and tossed Takamaki over his shoulder effortlessly. The action pulled Akira's muscles taunt, and the show of strength made Mishima's heart skip a beat. Akira was... Well, he was so painfully attractive-

"Please stop eye-fucking your boyfriend in class," Kawakami murmured as she dropped next to Mishima, startling him enough that he almost punched her. Thankfully, her reflexes were quick enough to stop him connecting, and she smirked as she stated, "It's not like you to let your guard down enough for me to sneak up on you..."

Mishima blushed slightly at her teasing tone, looking back over at Akira, before sighing and muttering, "I'm allowed to be distracted by my boyfriend..."

Kawakami just hummed at that, shrugging as she pulled out her phone. For a few minutes, they remained like that, Mishima happy to watch Akira and Takamaki spar as Kawakami messed about on her phone, but eventually the teacher sighed and spoke up, her voice a little shakey as she asked, "Do you think I should really ask Tae to marry me? I mean, we're both still only in our twenties..."

"You've been dating since you were teens. And she is clearly in love with you. So, yeah, you should at least ask," Mishima replied, still watching Akira. Kawakami didn't speak for a long moment, giving Mishima's mind the chance to wander. Sure, he had never seriously considered marriage before, and he was still way too young, but he couldn't help but imagine what Akira would look like in a suit, standing at a temporary altar in Inokashira Park... He was yanked from his thoughts by Akechi's voice calling for the sparring to stop. For a second, he was disappointed that he could no longer watch Akira spar, but he was soon pleased by what Akechi said...

"That is enough. I think I have enough of an idea of your abilities to teach you..." he stated, glancing around the group (and focusing on Mishima for a split second before moving on, visibly torn) before clearing his throat and continuing, "For now, up until lunch, I will teach you all some basic hand-to-hand combat moves. So, please, stay in your partners... Except for one of you, just whilst I show you all what you need to do. Akira, will you help me?"

Akira nodded easily, smiling the tiniest bit and winking at Mishima before heading up to the front of the group. Mishima half paid attention to what Akechi said, slightly distracted by the way Akira's sweat added a soft shine to his skin, prompting Mishima to consider all the other ways he could make Akira sweat... It didn't take long for Akechi to explain, and soon enough everyone was following through with his instructions. Of course, that gave the detective enough free time to gingerly walk over to Mishima, hesitating before speaking quietly, "I... I really am sorry, for everything, Mishima. I... I understand why you hate me so, so I-"

"Aunt, could you give us a few minutes?" Mishima asked Kawakami, eyes completely focused on Akechi. Even then, he saw how she hesitated, glaring slightly at the older teen, so he sighed and looked at her, smiling minutely and murmuring, "I can handle him. I promise."

Kawakami continued to hesitate for a few more seconds, but eventually, she sighed too and got up, glancing at Akechi before telling Mishima, "Yell if you need me."

With that, she walked off, only to stop not too far away. Mishima sent her an unimpressed look, so she rolled her eyes and moved further away. She was just out of earshot, so Mishima looked up at Akechi and ordered, "Sit down."

The detective did as he was told with no complaints, crossing his legs as Mishima refocused on Akira. For a long moment, Mishima let the silence sit, unsettling Akechi, but eventually, he sighed and stated, "Akira told me about what happened. With your father."

That made Akechi flinch violently, but Mishima pressed on, ignoring the flash of guilt he felt as he muttered, "He also told me about what happened after. On the bridge..."

Akechi opened his mouth, ready to butt in, so Mishima sent him a quick glare and continued quickly, refocusing on Akira because he just couldn't look at Akechi and forcing out an awkward, "I... Look, I'm still pissed at you. I... I don't know if I can forgive, not yet, but... But I promised Akira I would try. And... In all honesty? I... I kinda get  _ why _ you've done some of what you've done. I don't condone it, not even for a second, but... Well, I understand. If I hadn't had my aunt there for me, there's no doubt I probably would have ended up being more like you. So. I get it... But I'm still so fucking pissed at you. Akira was hurt  _ so much _ , I thought he was  _ dead _ , you fucking  _ kissed me _ , even after I made it clear I didn't like you... But you only kissed me because you didn't know how to show me how you really felt, right?" That earned him a small, hesitant nod, so he kept going with a tired, "I... Look, I don't like you. I even kinda hate you. But... But I'm willing to try to get on with you. As long as you promise to  _ never, ever _ hurt Akira again. Or try to make any moves on me. Okay? I... I love him, and if you hurt him again... I will fucking ruin you. Understood?"

"I... Understood..." Akechi replied, and Mishima finally looked at him properly. He looked... Well, he looked nothing short of relieved as he smiled minutely and whispered, "I... I really am sorry, Mishima. I just... I'm not going to make excuses for what I've done. You deserve better than that. I just... Thank you. For wanting to try. I... I don't deserve it-"

"Maybe not, maybe you don't deserve a second chance. But, maybe, I... I want to give you a chance. Because I get it. I know what it's like, to feel hated and alone and useless. To cling to something in order to try and become someone. To no longer be a nobody..." Mishima sighed as he trailed off, looking over at Akira. The younger teen was walking Takamaki and the pair next to them through one of the moves Akechi had shown them, and he was smiling... Mishima sighed again, refocusing on Akechi as he continued, "You know what I realised? You don't need to be a  _ somebody _ , you don't need everyone to like you, you don't need to be perfect, any of it, to be cared about. And... As angry as I am, I know you need to be taught those things, and I know the others are the best people to do it. So... Just... Don't hurt them. And... And if you do well, if you prove yourself? Maybe... Maybe we can be friends..."

Akechi visibly brightened at that, grinning in a way Mishima had never seen, and nodding as he breathed out, "I promise you, Mishima, I'm already trying. I'm trying to be better..."

"Good," Mishima said, unable to fight the tiny smile that tugged at his lips, "That's all I can ask for..."


End file.
